Lectern



T. J. WATSON Nov. 6, 1945 LECTERN Filed April 24, 1942.

ATTORNEY.

Patented ow.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LECTERN York Application April 24, 1942, Serial No. 440,414

1 Claim.

This invention relates to tables and more particularly to a speaker's table such as, for example, a lectern or pulpit and it has for a broad object to provide a speaker's table which is of improved construction and arrangement of parts.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved lectern or pulpit having ample and uniform illumination means, having a soundproofed recessed portion for the placement of detachably connected microphones, and having lateral recesses for the disposition of notes, sheets and manuscripts.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which discloses, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the complete lectem.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 showing a partial view of the elevating mechanism.

The general features of the invention can best be understood from an examination of the drawing shown in Fig. 1. The lectern is here shown having a top In mounted in a base ll. Actually the top III is mounted upon a hollow box i2 which telescopes into the base H (see Fig. 2). The top in (see Fig. 1) is provided with a hood is at each end and an inclined front panel I. In the center of the top I is a cork plate It upon which a speaker's manuscript may be placed and, on either side of this plate ii, a recessed portion I6 is cut into the top It to provide for additional manuscript storage. A tubular electric lamp i1 is mounted in each hood I! at either end of the top it for providing even illumination of the top l0, plate I5, and the panel It. A toggle switch it provides a means to control the lamps II. On the left of the panel I is mounted a conventional electric clock It, and on the right of the panel It a timer clock 20 is similarly mounted. A.

warning light 2| associated with the timer clock 20 is mounted on a subpanel attached to one of the hoods I 3. Directly in back of the plate It (see Fig.1) the panel I is recessed to provide space for mounting a plurality of microphones 23 in the receptacles 22, the electrical connections to such being led through said receptacles and into and through the base I I (not shown for sake of simplicity). In the front of the top Ill is mounted a plate 24 having two push buttons 28 and 28, these being labelled "Raise" and Lower respectively. The push buttons 25 and 28 are for the purpose of manually controlling the operation of a motor driven gear mechanism 20 mounted within the base ll so that the box-like structure I2 and top In may be raised and lowered with respect to the base I l to suit the height requirements of the individual speaker. Upon the outside of one of the hoods I3 is a gavel block 21. The timer clock is provided with a hand 28 which serves both as a non-elapsed time indicator and as a means to set the time clock in operation.

It is to be noted that the various panels and plates in top III are mounted upon cork or other sound proofing material, and that wherever possible, the panels themselves are of such composition.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A speaker's table comprising a base, a columnlike supporting structure extending upwardly from said base; a top carried by the upper part with a rear part behind which a speaker may stand, a front part opposite said rear part, and a pair of ends Joining, respectively, the adjacent ends of said rear and front parts; said top also including a centrally located plate providing an uppersurface adapted to support the speaker's notes when being used, and said top being formed with a recess in the front part thereof disposed forward of said plate and having a defining wall part arranged below the level of adjacent parts of the note supporting surface and said recess being adapted to contain acoustic detectors; said top also including a pair of similar wall members extending laterally from the two opposite sides, respectively, of said plate and extending below the level of said plate and terminating outwardly adjacent said two ends to provide a pair of storage places for notes not being used, symmetricaltwo ends of said top including wall means providing a pair of lamp shades adapted to contain iampstherein and said shades being constructed so that they open inwardly toward said plate to 3 direct light thereon from both sides.

THOMAS J. WATSON- of said column-like structure and being formed 1y disposed on opposite sides of said plate; the. 

